A devastating drought in Somalia has reached unprecedented levels, as the one millionth person displaced by the drought was registered this week, according to displacement figures released jointly today by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). More than 755,000 people have been internally displaced in Somalia because of the severe drought this year, bringing the total figure to 1 million people since January 2021 when the drought began.
The NRC says while starvation is now haunting the entire country, more and more families are forced to leave everything behind. People are forced to flee, because there is literally no water or food left in their villages. Somalia is witnessing a two-year historic dry spell – a situation not seen in more than 40 years – and an expected fifth failed rainy season is bound to displace many more families, as famine looms on the horizon.
According to the humanitarian organizations, the number of people facing crisis hunger levels in Somalia is expected to rise from some 5 million to more than 7 million in the coming months, worsened by the effects of climate change, and rising food prices because of the conflict in Ukraine. More than 213,000 people are facing catastrophic hunger, unless urgent support is provided.
The UNHCR says the Somalia situation was already one of the most underfunded before this latest crisis. The UN Refugee agency has currently insufficient resources and aid funding urgently needs to be ramped up before it is too late.
The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is an independent humanitarian organization that helps people who are forced to flee their homes. The organization's headquarters are located in Oslo, Norway. The organization is currently one of the largest NGOs in the world assisting refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs).
UNHCR, the United Nations Refugee Agency, is a global organization working to save lives, protect rights and build a better future for refugees, displaced persons and stateless people. Each year, UNHCR helps millions of refugees and displaced persons worldwide and maintains offices in 134 countries.
Further information
Full text: “One millionth person displaced by Somalia drought”, joint statement by UNHCR and NRC, released on August 11, 2022
https://www.nrc.no/news/2022/august/one-millionth-person-displaced-by-somalia-drought/
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